>> tonight, isaac is still out in force, soaking the midwest. manuel bojorquez counts up the damage the billion-dollar storm is leaving behind. >> everything i have i lost. >> penn state football kicks off the new season after an off-season of turmoil. elaine quijano looks at the school's tough road ahead. thousands are at the beach for a labor day swim, but not in cape cod, where the sharks are a little too close for comfort. >> i'm from the old media. >> twitter, facebook, google, new media meets old at the political conventions. veteran reporter bill plante with his take. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news."

>> good evening. i'm chip reid. we begin tonight with isaac. the killer storm is still alive, weakened but pounding the midwest. heavy rain hit from arkansas to missouri and north toward illinois, indiana, and ohio. but in the south, isaac left a trail of death and destruction. seven dead, more than 400,000 still without power, and insurance claims that could top $1 billion. hardest hit were southern parts of mississippi and louisiana. that's where manuel bojorquez is. >> reporter: well, chip, officials in st. tammany parish has ordered a mandatory evacuation for residents living near a canal. they fear a lock could breach, and they're actually picking up uvacueees on the highway there. in other parts of the state, people are starting to come home. in parts of plaquimines parish, the only way to get around is by boat. it's how lonnie and angela serpas got to see what's left of their home today. >> i just want my family to be

safe and to have somewhere to go, which nowhere. we're homeless. >> reporter: 50 miles west, neighborhoods in st. john the baptist parish remain submerged. residents like jennifer brown are surveying what's left. >> everything i had i lost, everything. >> reporter: there were long lines throughout the day at distribution centers across southeast louisiana where national guard troops handed out supplies. >> do you need any ice? >> reporter: for many, it's the fourth straight day without power. shawn richardson's home took on a foot of water. >> we need as much help as we can, you know. it's rough. >> reporter: though most of new orleans is still without power, the city is largely dry. $14 billion federal project to reinforce its levees after hurricane katrina worked, but in nearby st. john's parish, mervin and valerie mckinney say the water has to go somewhere. they believe it ended up here. >> we never had water this-- this much water. you're afraid to go to sleep that the water could be in your

house. so we had to leave. >> reporter: they evacuated wednesday and returned today to check on the family pets. they say their naebd never flooded like this in their 23 years here. now they worry. >> they're going to have to put a little bit more attention, focus, on other areas than just new orleans, and we-- i mean, don't get me wrong. i know they had-- it was real bad down there during katrina. we just need something to be done here. >> reporter: today, new orleans mayor mitch land row addressed those concerns. he said his city is ready to help its neighbors with supplies, emergency medical equipment, and shelters. chip. >> thank you, manuel. now to campaign 2012. it may be a holiday saturday but not for president obama or his challenger mitt romney. both were on the campaign trail today in battle ground states. jan crawford has been running a marathon covering the romney campaign. jan. >> reporter: well, chip, it's a big weekend for politics but also for sports. it's the weekend between the

democratic and republican conventions and it's the kickoff the college football. so on the campaign trail today we got some of both. ohio has a rich football tradition, but in the election, it will also be a key swing state, so paul ryan on saturday was in columbus, tailgating and cheering his alma mater, miami university of ohio, against rival ohio state. romney drew his own crowd in cincinnati, where he compared president obama's jobs record to that of a losing coach. >> if you have a coach that's zero and 23 million you say it's time to get a new coach. >> reporter: since thursday night's acceptance speech, romney has been playing opposite touring storm damage in louisiana ahead of president obama, and making campaign stops in ohio and florida. >> we're taking this country back. we're going to get america strong again. for you, for your children, for the future. ( cheers and applause ). >> reporter: the campaign is looking to take advantage of

convention momentum, getting in their hits before democrats start their convention in charlotte. president obama already is on the offensive. >> they talked a lot about me. they talked a lot about him. but they didn't say much about you. >> reporter: today, the president was in iowa, the first of five swing state visits before next week's convention when he becomes the party's nominee. >> now this thursday night, i will offer you what i believe is a better path forward, a path that grows this economy, creates more good jobs, strengthens the middle class. >> reporter: and in his own nod to college football, the white house on its web site released the president's official beer recipe with the headline "ale to the chief." now while democrats are holding their convention next week in charlotte, romney is going to spend his week preparing for the three upcoming presidential debates.

that's when he and president obama finally go thod head on the same stage. >> thank you, jan. more than 80,000 fans watched penn state's football team lose to ohio today, 24-14. it was an emotional kickoff to the season, one that followed the turmoil of a sex abuse scandal and the fire of its legendary coach. elaine quijano there was. ( cheers ) >> reporter: for penn state, this was no ordinary game. this was a chance to signal a new beginning with a new head coach. >> with wit welcome to the offit of a new era in penn state football. >> it means so much to me to be here to support all the team. >> reporter: as penn state works to rebuild its reputation, it is also dealing with a financial fallout. the school was hit with unprecedented n.c.a.a. sanctions, including a four-year ban on bowl games and a $60 million fine. >> the football players are getting punished. it's hard to sit back and just-- we have to take it because there's nothing we can do. in the end we're just, like,

innocent bystanders. >> reporter: as of late last year, penn state's football program is worth an estimated $100 million, the third most valuable program behind texas and notre dame. rish teaches sports economics at webster university. >> if parents don't want to sebd their kids to penn state, you're talking about anywhere from $5 million to $20 million a season lost because people do not want to be associated with the brand. >> reporter: already, state farm insurance has announced it is pulling ads from penn state home games. the university has launched a campaign to change perception. >> the measure of a man is how you overcome adversity. >> reporter: that includes a new local tv show about the football program called "the next chapter." players today wore blue ribbons to the backs of their helmets as a sign of support for victims of child abuse. elaine quijano, cbs news, state college, pennsylvania.

>> high gas prices haven't kept americans home this holiday weekend. gas now averages $3.83 a gallon, an increase of 30 cents over the past month. aaa said the number traveling for the labor day holiday, 33%, is up 3% from last year. as tona guida tells us, it's the uninvited visitors getting all the attention at one popular vacation spot. >> reporter: it's ?rendid beach weather, but thousands of cape cod swimmers are are you straighted. great white sharks are cruising off shore. from south beach in chatham to the northern tip of nauset beach in orleans, sharks are keeping bathers out of the water. >> somebody told me they can't come in too close to the edge here, but i don't believe that anymore so i'm just staying out. >> reporter: in july a man swimming off truro to the north was bitten by a great white shark, the first known attack in those waters in 76 years. he wassible to swim to shore and

survived. but it's not humans drawing sharks to the atlantic, it's a booming population of gray seals. >> there are thousands and they are increasing in number because they're protected. >> reporter: protect by a 1972 federal law making it illegal to harm them. if sharks are bad for bathers, they seem to be a boon to local businesses. t-shirt makers are busy, and tourists show up hoping for some excitement. >> they see it on the news. they read about it in the paper. they're interested. they want to come and see the sharks and see what it's all about. >> reporter:and with the seals multiplying, sharks figure to be prowling these waters for years. tony guida, cbs news unew york. >> warnings have gone out to thousands of vacationers to yosemite national park. they may have been exposed to a deadly mouse mouse-borne virus. six cases have been confirmed in

the the hantavirus. the illness is extremely rare but kills more than a third of those who contract it. it's been a deadly day for u.s. troops in afghanistan. two soldiers were killed by insurgents in eastern ghazni prfs and the taliban claimed responsibility for a double suicide bomb attack in wardak province. at least a dozen afghans were killed. several americans were meaning the wounded. syria's civil war is getting deadlier. a united nations official says 1600 syrians were killed in fighting this week, making it the deadliest seven days since the rebellion broke out. the nearly 18-month-old conflict has claimed 20,000 lives. still ahead on tonight's cbs evening news, a look at new media at the political conventions. charlotte, north carolina's mayor says the democratic convention is a turning point for his city, and a new plan for homeowners who can't afford their mortgages. if you have copd like i do,

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jackson hole, wyoming, this weekend federal reserve chairman ben bernanke hinted some stimulus action could be coming next month. that could bring mortgage rates down even more. with 1.5 million properties in foreclosure, two big banks have rolled out test programs to help keep people in their homes. anthony mason has more. >> reporter: artist and fashion designer amber knox was proud to buy a house in phoenix with her sister. it was 2007. she was 22. >> i felt like an adult. it was very exciting. we had house warming party. invited all our friends. >> reporter: the party didn't last long. within two years, her sister got married and moved out. knox struggled to pay the

mortgage on her own, just as the housing market was crashing. her home lost more than half its value. then in 2010, she lost her job and fell behind. >> i was scared. i was scared i was going to lose everything. i didn't know what to do. >> reporter: with only part-time work, knox was not eligible for home modification. she was facing foreclosure and bankruptcy. then her lender, bank of america, offered this-- a pilot program called mortgage to lease. rather than foreclosing, the bank takes back ownership, forgives the debt, and gives knox a chance to rent. she loses her equity, but reduces her monthly cost from $1250 to $712, and she gets to stay in the house. >> in certain situations, especially where the homeowners are deeply underwater, i think this is a great opportunity for them to real get a fresh start. >> reporter: bank of america is rolling out the small test program to 2500 distressed

homeowners in four states. in recent weeks, citigroup introduced a similar program for 500 homeowners in six states. bloomquist says the banks benefit the most. >> the foreclosure process can drag on for years. so by resorting to a program like this, they are kind of short circuiting that foreclosure process. >> reporter: the rental agreement is for three years. after that, no guarantees. >> even though i'm renting, it's-- it's still my home. >> reporter: knox hopes one day to be able to buy back the house, but at 28, mostly she's just relieved. anthony mason, cbs news, new york. >> reid: songwriter hal david has died. along with writing partner burt bachrach, david churned out dozens of top 40 his hits including "raindrops keep falling on my head," "close to you," and "i say a little prayer." the pair shared grammys, tonys, and an oscar and was gardened with the gershwin prize for popular song at a white house

ceremony in may. hal david was 91. next on tonight's cbs evening news, the mayor of charlotte, north carolina, planning for a business rebound. [ male announcer ] this is sheldon, whose long dy setting up the news

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carolina, will be home to the democrats next week as their convention gets under wayed it. it's a turning point for the city. when the economy went south, many jobs in the city's big business, banking, were lost. but charlotte has a young mayor with some new ideas. the charlotte me metropolitan aa is home to 1.8 million people. half a million of them arrived in just the past decade, most from outside north carolina. anthony foxx is charlotte's 41-year-old mayor. i understand charlotte is the fastest growing urbanized area in the nation. >> it is, it is. >> reid: why is that? why are people coming here like a magnet is drawing them? >> well, you know, our quality of life is extremely strong here. if you want to have a good place to work, a good place to play, we're about two hours from the mountains, three hours from the beach. but mostly it's that the city continues the upward trajectory. >> reid: that trajectory was jolted by the recession. the city lost 27,000 jobs before

fox was elected two now 9. jobs are coming back. unemployment is stuck at 10%. he is looking to grow the area in businesses other banking, like energy. i heard you like to sail against the wind. why is that? >> we don't have the luxury right now of focusing on the short term. every decision we make is a long-term decision. we have been able to manage our budget in the city without a tax increase over the last three years that have really been tough for all public budgets but we've done it by working together and that's what this country needs right now, leaders is that are thinking about not just this year but the next 20 years. >> reporter: his vision includes expand, the light rail lines that now run for 10 miles through the city. you were a big fan of infrastructure spending. >> huge, huge fan of it. it creates jobs right now. it also creates better mobility choices. in a community like ours that struggles with air quality talso provides environmental benefits.

>> reid: foxx is charlotte's first democratic mayor in a nation and the second african american to hold the job. he's grateful for those who helped pave the way for him. >> i think that one thing that's very clear is that there's no ceiling anymore, and i think that's a great step for our country. >> reid: what are you most looking forward to at this convention? >> having my 95-year-old grandmother there to watch the president accept the nomination. she grew up in a small town in north carolina. she had to live with the indignity of segregation, and she's worked hard all of her life for a moment like this, to see something so historic happen in her state. i think that's the biggest-- >> reid: with her grandson as mayor. >> well, you know, there's that. >> reid: like any good politician, mayor foxx never met a hand he didn't want to shake. he says he plans to personally welcome as many of the 35,000 democratic conventioneers as he possibly can. ahead, we send a veteran newsman

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plante into the brave new media world. >> reporter: so this is th the googolplex in tampa. it doesn't look like any newsroom i have ever been in, including my own. let's see if there is anybody doing any news here, actually writing something. i'm from the old media, and we're doing a story about new media. look at all these people who aren't working. they're just lining up to get coffee. that's every journalist's idea of a good time. so how cool is it that you can actually read while you're exercising? >> pretty cool. >> reporter: uhm, are you going to walk any faster than this? >> i try to get this thing to go, but it's operating at the pace most journalists operate early in the morning. do you have office where's you work with chairs like this. >> these are so comfortable. >> reporter: maybe we can get some of these chairs for the office, too. what about it, boss? you've heard of the "new york times," perhaps. like cbs, they, too, have

ventured into new media, but we're mostly kind of old media, wouldn't you say. >> yeah, so old dinosaurs like you and i just have to keep adjusting. >> reporter: as long as we can come to the google work space and get free coffee it's okay. >> i don't know if i could get out of the chair if i sat in it. >> reporter: a lot of old media, fox, cbs, "new york times." we better press on to find the new media. bill plante from old media. >> good to see you. >> reporter: what are you learning on twitter? >> you can follow what people are saying in twitter and you can combine it with the gallup poll and it's pretty even. >> reporter: no, i don't have a twitter account. it's not they tobt twitter or technology or anything like that. it's because it's too damn much work! facebook,un, how many million people on facebook? is there a politician here who's account is mostly not b.s.-- oh, excuse me. >> you know, it varies.

i'm not sure to be honest with you. >> reporter: i'm not sure, either. i don't have's fab account because i don't really care what everybody else is doing all the time. i don't mean to be old and cranky. facebook and twitter both play a valuable role in politics and political reporting, to be serious for a moment, because it's a way of getting information out and getting it out fast. well, the new media world was fun, but now i've got to go back to our-- between the old and new media newsroom-- and write something for tv. tv is not considered new media anymore, but you know, i've got to keep the stuff coming in order to keep the paycheck coming. >> reid: and that's the cbs evening news for tonight. later on cbs "48 hours mystery." for all of us here at cbs news, i'm chip reid in new york. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org